A report released today by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) indicates that violence directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Minnesotans continues to increase, perpetuating a multi-year trend, even as nationally numbers have decreased.

"We are deeply concerned about the 2009 statistics for a number of reasons," says OutFront Minnesota Anti-Violence Program Director Rebecca Waggoner Kloek. "For example, OutFront Minnesota's Anti-Violence Program saw a 64% increase in the numbers of hate/bias violence incidents in Minnesota while nationally there was a 7% decrease."

Looking specifically at Minnesota, the NCAVP report reveals:

64% increase in the number of violent incidents and 22% increase in victims/survivors

104% increase in the number of incidents involving multiple offenders, with a 72% increase in assault or attempted assault and a 325% increase in harassment.

The most common weapons used were bats, bricks, rocks and knives.

93% of assault or attempted assault survivors required some level of medical care as a result of violence

80% increase in the use of sexual violence as a weapon of hate

29% increase in hate violence directed toward LGBTQ people of color

138% increase in violence directed toward youth between the ages of 15 and 18 years old

"The 2009 data revealed a multi-year trend of increased bias and hate crime activity throughout Minnesota. These findings also show that violence directed at LGBTQ Minnesotans continues to become more brutal and more likely to be perpetrated by groups rather than individual assailants," Kloek said. "We are still in danger. Anti-violence work is unfortunately as vital as ever before and we must continue to strive to create safe streets, homes and workplaces. We must demand that the larger community and criminal justice systems hold perpetrators accountable for their actions."